Date: Wed, 21 Feb 1996 21:54:00 PST Reply-To: Mike Goldman Sender: Highlander TV show stories From: Mike Goldman Subject: Counterfeit Friends (15/22)--HL Story BTW: Thanks to all (Sean, Kinslayer, etc) who have been so kind with their comments. Biggest thanks (and virtual brownie) to my cyberspace bud, Steph (author of "Night Music"), who read the first draft and convinced me I should post this. Now if my computer will just play along (Sybil? Is that you, Sybil?), I'll try to get the rest of this out...Oh yeah, mild profanity warning. The next day, Saturday, Rory had taken off only at Joe's insistence. He had also insisted on staying close to her throughout the morning, but she had finally managed to persuade him to go back to the bar, if only for the afternoon, telling him she would be fine on her own for a few hours. After he left, she sat on the gray couch in front of her bay window, idly plucking a guitar. She was more nervous than she'd let on to Joe and the action helped to steady her hands and calm her mind. She was in the middle of a classical piece when she suddenly felt the buzz. Getting up quietly, she gently laid the guitar on the couch and picked up the sword resting right by it. Someone knocked at the door and she jumped. Cursing herself for acting like a scared new Immortal, she walked over to the kitchen door, first looking cautiously through a corner of the shade. Macleod. Duncan, standing outside, knew she was home and couldn't understand why it was taking her so long to answer the door. However, he was determined to knock until she answered as he needed to speak with Rory and wasn't going to leave until he was done. He lifted his fist up to knock again, but this time no door was there -- only Rory with her sword pointed directly at his throat. He lowered his fist. "You've gotten faster." he commented. "Are you here for my head?" she asked. "Because if you are, it's going to be a hell of a fight." Duncan held up both hands, palms out, so she could see nothing was in them. "Actually, for Joe's sake, I'm hoping we can still work this out between us." At the mention of Joe's name, Rory's sword arm wavered for a moment. She appeared to consider briefly and then lowered the sword. "Come in." she said tersely. She opened the door wider and let Macleod go into the house. He walked through the kitchen and into the living room. "Nice place." he commented. Walking over to the bay window, he peered out. "Must be a great night sky." Rory watched him, still holding onto her sword, arms crossed. "You didn't come here to admire my living quarters." He turned around. "No, I didn't." Sitting down on the couch, he crossed his legs. "I thought it was time we finished our little talk about your activities while you're here." "We've been through all that, Macleod." "And you lied to me." "Is that what you think?" she answered, her voice rising in anger. Stalking over to the living room, she could almost feel little bursts of electricity in her sword arm. Taking a deep breath, she placed her sword against the window, trying to think about Joe in order to calm herself down. Balling her hands into fists to resist the urge to pick up the sword again, she cleared a small space and sat on the steamer trunk across from Duncan. "You think, " she continued angrily, "that I've been lying to you? Lying to--." Her voice caught. "Lying to Joe?" "Haven't you?" "No! I haven't told him all about me, but I would *never* put him in any type of danger! I told you I'm through with all that!" Duncan uncrossed his legs and leaned forward. There was an edge of desperate truth in Rory's voice. He was beginning to believe her. "You know what's going on, though." he said. It was a statement and not a question. Rory got up, crossed her arms and paced in front of the window. "It can't be." she said to herself. "I was so careful..." "What can't be?" Duncan asked. She didn't seem to hear him and kept pacing, rubbing her arms as she mumbled to herself. "Rory, *what* can't be?" he asked again. She turned and faced him. "Someone knows I'm alive." Did you think I'd gone away? You're safe in the daylight, but in the dark I rise. I'm the crime that you hid for you want to forget that you killed what you did. You will never be free--not as long as there's me! Did you think you would escape the judgement that was planned? Did you think you would escape the truth's avenging hand? just because you escaped the boundaries of your land? "Kim's Nightmare" -- Miss Saigon CSR =========================================================================